No autographs please......

....I AM published, after all!!

Some time ago I got a very exciting email - would I mind if my Twisted Tutorial was included in Homespun Magazine - hmm, let me think about that - ummmm NO!!!

...and so it came to pass...

I received another email from Homespun who said the little link is the November issue, page 16...

According to Blogger, my tutorial has already had over 28,000 views - awesome - fame at last :)

A new tool.....picture heavy post tute

I don't know about you, but binding to finish off the quilt has always been a bit of a chore for me: miles of fabric that gets tangled in the ironing cord, round my legs, the sewing machine etc etc, unpicking dodgy joins and faffing about big time with pins (and usually some reverse sewing) to join the 2 ends once the rest is on the quilt.

With this in mind, when I went to the Quilt Show, here in Melbourne recently, I went looking for a binding tool I'd seen on Pinterest.  I found the tool, but the helpful assistant said she used a different one which she preferred and would I like that one instead.  "OK" says I, and I bought the Westalee "Bound to Fit" tool (it's designed and made in Oz)

Well, let me tell you - it's BRILLIANT!!

You can cut your binding strips with a 45 degree angle which are easily aligned and then, the ease at which you join them at the end is just fabulous, sweetie darling.  Let me show you......

First up you cut your binding strips, then, you line the 'Bound to Fit' along the bottom edge - the black part provides a ridge that helps you line up the binding strip more easily

I cut my binding at 2.25" wide - and obviously usually longer than this piece - it's just so you can see

Then you cut it, including the little straight bit on the bottom right there - this is what helps you join the strips together with more accuracy

Then, you turn your strip around (or turn the tool around - but not upside down) to create angles all going the same way - they'll be parallelogram shaped for those geometrically inclined

obviously way smaller than required!

To join your binding strips, you simply line up the edges and the little straight bit you cut means you don't have to try and gauge there the 1/4" seam will be

Then you sew - and I like to press the seam open to reduce more bulk, but I know some people prefer to press to the side

seam pressed open

binding folded in half lengthwise and pressed ready to attach to the quilt

Look at that - perfick!  and just wait til you see how easy it is to join the binding strips together once it's on the quilt..

So now I have a real quilt and I did all of the above to join my binding strips.  I left a 'tail' of about 8 inches before I started sewing the binding on as normal, then once round to the end, I left another 'tail' to give me enough room to maneuver..

Next you need to make a mark where the 2 'tails' have to join - simply fold the binding back on itself, opposite ways, and finger press (or iron) to create a crease - make sure your 2 folded 'tails' are touching each other..

Then, whip out your tool and align the white 'to fold' line with the crease - I've chalked the crease line in so you can see it better..then cut off the tail..

Next step is the other 'tail' - but remember to turn the tool around - and cut that tail off too..

You'll be left with this..

Pin them right sides together and stitch..

Finger press the seam as before, refold the binding and stitch into place..

BRILLIANT!!

This is the quilt completed after I stitched down the binding (by machine and using my trusty Clover binding clips - love them) - this will be for sale at Red Hill Market.

Westalee have a very helpful video tutorial.

I hope to stock these wonderful tools for resale - let me know if you'd like one :)

Wild Waves Tute

Specifically for the lovely ladies of the Cherish Circle of Do.Good stitches for our April quilt - but obviously, anyone can have a go at this block - it's very pretty - and made in bright, saturated fabrics, looks a bit like bunting twirling in the breeze....

this is 2 blocks, side by side.....

Okey dokey, to make 2 x 12" finished blocks, you'll need the following....

from the white fabric - 8 x 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" squares, plus
                                     16 x 4" x 4" squares
n.b. - you can use any white

from your scrap box - 1 x 4 1/4" square of 8 bright, saturated fabrics - any colour and you can use a mix of prints and solids.

Method:

1.  With a pencil and a ruler, mark each of the white squares, on the wrong side, with 2 diagonal lines, 1/4" away from the centre diagonal (fig 1)

fig 1

2.  Pick up one white 4 1/4" square and place it on top of one of your bright 4 1/4" squares, right sides together, then sew down the inside of the drawn lines (fig 2)

fig 2

3.  Cut apart down the centre of the sewn lines.  Set the seams with the iron then press the seams open (fig 3)

fig 3 (showing wrong side uppermost)

4.  Repeat with remaining coloured squares and 4 1/4" white square until you have 16 HST's
5.  Pick up one HST and lay a white 4" square on top, right sides together - make sure the diagonal of the HST is NOT aligned to the diagonal lines drawn on the 4" white square - it should be opposite (fig 4)

fig 4

6.  Sew down the inside of each drawn line, cut apart and press the seam open as before (fig 5)

fig 5 (showing wrong side uppermost)

7.  Continue until you have used all the 4" white squares - you'll now have 32 small 1/4sq patches.
8.  Trim all of these patches to 3 1/2" square (fig 6)

fig 6 - I used a JT ruler to square these up, but you can do it just as successfully with a regular cutting ruler

9.  Using the following guide (to ensure the patches are oriented the same way - this is a little trickier than it looks - and please make sure the first column has the triangles pointing up :-)), layout your patches in 2 blocks of 4 x 4 patches 

please note the direction of the diagonals - your 2 blocks will be mirror images

10.  Sew 16 patches together to make a 1 block
11.  Repeat with remaining 16 patches
12. Send blocks to me (but only if you're a Cherish Circle member....)

There you go - please let me know if you have any questions - have fun....

Twisted tutorial

One of my ideas for the Mouthy Stitches pouch swap was a twisted panel, so I made a practice one.....

I posted it in the Flickr group - and was promptly asked to write a tutorial for it.......of course I had no photos, so I made another one, slightly smaller and took photos as I went along.  This tute shows you how to make one side of a pouch (or a bag, cushion, etc - whatever - the theory can be applied to any project you want to make, you just have to recalculate the sizes) and my side panel is 7" x 12" with a twisted panel, incorporating 5 twists, that finishes around 3.5" square.

Please note this is my first tutorial - so go easy on me!!  This is the same methodology as Quilt-as-you-go and if any of it doesn't make sense, drop me a line and I'll help in any way I can!

What you will need:

• heavy duty interfacing
• ruler
• pencil
• main fabric (mine is Kona Everglade)
• scraps of fabric at least 1.5" wide and 5" long (these are for the twists)
• note - use starch on your fabric - it helps when cutting and piecing

What to cut:

• heavy duty interfacing, 1 piece, 7" x 12"
• twist scraps, 5 pieces, 1.5" x 5"
• main fabric
• 5 pieces, 1.5" x 5"
• 4 pieces, 1.25" x 5" (we'll call these the spacers)
• 1 piece, 5" x 3.5" (this will be trimmed later)
• 1 piece 5" x 6.5" (this will be trimmed later)
• 2 pieces, 2.5" x 12" (these will be trimmed later)

 What to do:

1.  Mark up the interfacing with your pencil and ruler:

• measure in 1.5" from each long side and draw a line
• measure in 3" from one short side and draw a line
• from the 3" line, measure and mark a further 4 lines, 3/4" apart
• set aside 'til later

I got a bit excited and drew one more line than I needed - you only need an extra 4 to the right of the 3" line

2.  Sew your twists:

•  Using all the fabric pieces sized 1.5" x 5", sew each of the scrap pieces to a main fabric piece down one long side and with a 1/4" seam

I chain pieced these

• Press open the seams (this makes it easier to get a good edge), then finger press the twists closed along the seam line, wrong sides together and press again

•  Trim the twists so they are 1" wide and 5" long

Here are the 5 twists ready to go

3.  Piece the panel:

• Lay the 5" x 3.5" on top of the interfacing, right side uppermost and centred between the top and bottom lines, carefully matching the 3" line and edge stitch to hold

• Lay your first twist along this line, carefully matching the long raw edges and edge stitch to hold

The twist hasn't been edge stitched in this photo as yet

Now it has...

• Lay 1 1.25" x 5" spacer on top of the twist, matching raw edges and sew through all thicknesses with a 1/4" seam where you just edge stitched
• Turn main fabric over to the right and press (the long edge of the folded out spacer should be aligned with the next 3/4" line drawn on the interfacing)

Oops - forgot to take a photo after the first one, but it's just the same all along - here's the 1.25" x 5" spacer folded out after the 2nd twist and ready to be edge stitched 

• Edge stitch the raw edge
• Continue adding the twists in this manner until you have stitched down the last one. 
• You will not have any spacers left, but that's ok, because now you'll use the 5" x 6.5" piece to complete the width of the panel

4.  Create the Twist:

• from the back of the piece, sew along one of the 1.5" lines to hold your twists in place

I've turned it over so you can see what it should look like

• fold the other end of each twist to the opposite side and pin to hold

• Stay stitch along the 1.5" line at the bottom to hold

the panel is looking a bit wonky now, but don't fret - it sorts itself out eventually!

5.  Complete the panel:

• Sew the remaining main fabric pieces (12" x 2.5") to the top and bottom of the panel and press open
• Trim the panel and use as you like....

Let me know if you have a go....and I'm linking up to Tutorial Tuesday over at Lawson and Lotti's